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krswan writes "I'll bet many readers had their interest in astronomy fanned by Jack Horkheimer through his long running 'Star Hustler' (later changed to 'Star Gazer') program on PBS. His joy and enthusiasm for basic naked-eye astronomy was contagious, and more than once got me in big trouble as a kid for sneaking outside when his show ended at 12:05am, trying to find whatever he was presenting that week. Horkheimer passed away on Friday. There's a nice story at Sky and Telescope, including the epitaph he already wrote for himself: 'Keep Looking Up was my life's admonition // I can do little else in my present position.'"

I used to catch his show all the time - PBS ran it right after Red Dwarf (and later, Chef) before they signed off for the night on Saturdays.

I think it was Dr. Who that had me first catching his show as the tail end of the Saturday broadcast. I've never really been that in to astronomy (not that I'm not in awe when I got a good look at the sky out at White Sands). However, The Star Hustler was infectious. I usually ended up watching his show and taking a look at the sky at his suggestions. A quirky show mixed with enthusiasm that invoked a sense of wonder that was surprisingly engaging; that was The Star Hustler.

Yeah, there was a sweet full-color poster of Cassiopeia, and there was a really hot shot of the Gemini twins... quite the thing to behold. We also catered to the women too: the stars below Orion's belt were quite popular.

Yeah, there was a sweet full-color poster of Cassiopeia, and there was a really hot shot of the Gemini twins... quite the thing to behold. We also catered to the women too: the stars below Orion's belt were quite popular.

I think you were also catering to women with the Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux [wikipedia.org].:)

I've seen a lot of amazing things in my life: the Grand Canyon, the Toledo Cathedral, fish swimming amongst coral reefs. Yet I still can't think of any quite as spectacular as the ones I've seen flat on my back and gazing out into space.

Enjoyed watching him as a kid and into adulthood. He never talked down to the viewer and just had that genuine interest in astronomy that made you want to go out and look at the sky (as best you could inside heavy city light pollution)

The Jack we're talking about is the guy half resembling of Big Gay Al from South Park, who would be on PBS for 5 minutes sometime after Dr. Who or Red Dwarf (depending on which city you're in) and told you what planets or star alignments might be interesting to look for that night (weather and light pollution permitting.)

Your right. If it read "wife" I'd have been a little confused as well. He always struck me as a bit of a flamer. Very nice- I loved his show, but he just seemed like he would have responded if some one yelled "Mary!" on the set.

Jack was a charismatic person with an infectious personality. He always was genuine, and had a passion for teaching astronomy. I was traveling and visiting various planetariums up and down the East Coast, with a final stop in Miami to visit the Space Transit. Jack made me feel very welcome and gave me a ton of his time explaining what made his planetarium special. Eventually I came to know that it wasn't the equipment (although that draws the public in initially), but the people that make these programs successful. Jack Horkheimer brought the wonder of the universe down to earth for many people, and I'm glad to have known him, even if only for a short while.

I remember seeing him on PBS when I was a child. He really made astronomy fun to think about. Because of him I got my first telescope!
Between him and Carl Sagan, a lifelong interest in the universe was spawned.

I rather enjoyed his program as a child, however, for fear of repercussions, I wouldn't have let it be know. Despite the things i liked (astronomy, science, Star Trek; in retrospect it seems so obvious), and my knowledge that admitting i like them would have seen me labeled "uncool," I was quite unaware that I was a nerd. I learned from his show how to find several constellations, which i still find in a similar way. To this day I still look into the night sky and it still has a similar affect - a child-like wonder, awe. I often wonder what other people see in the night sky.

It was in second grade grade, it felt like being a kid, to be quite honest - you know, trying not to be bullied and such? I am quite a bit older than that now, however, and quite upfront about what I like. But thank you for your concern as to the nothing you know about me none the less.
Enough now, back on topic...

When I was young, I used to stay up just long enough to catch Jack Horkheimer's Star Hustler program on TV. That funny little whistly theme still brightens my day whenever I hear it. Thanks for all the fond memories, Jack.

I used to watch him after Doctor Who on PBS in the 80's... it'd be the last thing on WEDW before they went off the air. Jack, you got me to walk out the back door and look up more than once and made living in the middle of the woods all that much more tolerable. Thanks for getting me interested in Astronomy, I already miss you.

I wanted to print this out for internet-challenged members of my family. But their print-this page still includes the comments. At least in this case, so far, there weren't very many. But I suspect it will grow.

Can't they make a version of the print-this page that leaves out the comments and just sticks with the article. I don't like wasting precious ink.

He changed the perception of astronomy into something everyone could enjoy and do. As a planetarium director myself (just up the state from him) I owe my style of presentation to him. Funny, interesting, entertaining, and educational (at least I try to). Amazingly he was doing it in a 5 minute show. For you Jack, I will keep looking up.

Back in the mid-80s our local PBS affiliate ran it before signing off during the weekends. It was one of the few things that made any childhood fear of the dark immediately dissipate. I'm not sure if it was because he was so enthusiastic or the sweet, gentle music or a presentation that was instantly accessible and all inclusive.

I can remember one night he was talking about Venus and that you could see it with a pair of binoculars and if you didn't have any, just use a pair of toilet paper tubes. I rushed to the bathroom, ripped two tubes out, dashed to the yard and *GASP* saw it! It was one of those moments that I'll never forget. Thanks Jack.

Like many others that have commented, I remember seeing Star Hustler in the mid-80's as well, as a PBS weekend sign-off. Many a time my dad and I would go outside to check on Jack's observation for the week, and always had fun looking up at the sky. Even though the sign-off would be after midnight, we'd sometimes stare up at the sky pointing at things we could see for hours at a time.

Jack always kept astronomy accessible to everyone, and for that I thank you. You will be missed, Jack. I know I'll be one

I watched his last episode of the show on Youtube [youtube.com], it's about the Summer Triangle (Vega, Deneb and Altair) that is fairly high in the sky around Labor Day. He looked like he was having some breathing problems, but you could tell he had the same spirit and sheer joy in sharing his "discovery." If I can think of it, I'll try to remember the "Summer Triangle" as the "Horkheimer Triangle", to remember him, and to "remember to keep looking up."

How very sad. I remember when they would air it between shows when I was a kid. As soon as I heard that Tomita music, I knew I only had 30 seconds or so to get my Dad to the TV so we could watch it and then go outside to "look up".
I used to subscribe to the podcast, but when I lost my iPod I let it lax. I recently started watching them again and you could tell something was not right. He didn't seem well. In spite of obviously not feeling his best, he was still very upbeat and enthusiastic -- always part

Like many here I used to watch Jack every Friday night on the local PBS Sci-Fi Fridays. Every Friday night it was Jack, Red Dwarf, and Dr. Who. (plus occasionally something else like Blake's 7). Jack was like the cool uncle who could boil something down and make it easy to understand and yet still fun to enjoy. Whether it was how to spot the Leonid meteor showers or how to find a constellation by "Arcing to Arcturus" Jack was the man. Here's a toast to the Star Hustler, we would be lucky to have more people

I remember watching him as a kid with my Dad and younger brothers, and then going outside to look at the stars. Those are great memories. He definitely had an influence on my love for astronomy. Jack was a great man to be able to give the gift of curiosity, wonder, and enthusiasm to countless people. He is definitely missed. His legacy lives on.